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High School Seniors Can Apply Now for 2017 College Scholarships!

Hotel Voice - January 18, 2017

Both Vito J. Pitta and Division A Programs Are Accepting Applications

The Vito J. Pitta scholarship program and the Hotel Trades Council Division A scholarship program are now accepting applications for the 2017 awards. These programs provide an outstanding opportunity for members’ children to attend the college or university of their choice and to realize their career goals. For these reasons parents should not let their children miss out on the chance to enter these competitions!

The Vito J. Pitta Program

To be eligible to enter the Vito J. Pitta scholarship competition, applicants must be children or dependents of members who are employed in hotels or clubs that make contributions to this particular scholarship fund. In addition, applicants for the Vito J. Pitta scholarship competition must be high school seniors who will graduate in 2017 and will be attending an accredited four-year college or university in the fall.

Most non-Division A hotels participate in the Vito J. Pitta scholarship program. In addition, most private clubs covered by a Local 6 contract also participate in the Vito J. Pitta scholarship program. A list of those participating clubs is included on the Eligibility Information Form. Members may find the Eligibility Information Form for the Vito J. Pitta Scholarships by clicking here.

The Division A Program

Children of Hotel Trades Council members employed in Division A hotels are NOT eligible for the Vito J. Pitta scholarship competition. Instead, they have a separate scholarship program. Applicants for the Hotel Trades Council Division A scholarship competition must also be high school seniors who will graduate in 2017 and will be attending an accredited four-year college or university in the fall. Most Division A hotels participate in the Vito J. Pitta scholarship program. A list of those participating hotels is included on the Division A Eligibility Information Form that can be found here.

A Great Success Story

As we have proudly noted before, the Vito J. Pitta scholarship awards program is the largest college grant benefit provided anywhere in the world through a private sector union contract. It is also one of the most successful scholarship programs anywhere. Dating back to its first year, 1987, the program has awarded an impressive total of $7,688,000 in college grants to 961 students. Last year, a total of $304,000 was awarded to 38 graduating high school seniors. Each year, winners receive awards of $8,000 apiece, paid in increments of $2,000 for each of the four years of college. The Division A program is equally generous in its awards. Scholarship recipients from both programs have an outstanding record of success. Almost every previous scholarship recipient has graduated college or graduate school, or is still receiving their college education.

Applying for the Awards

Applying for either the Vito J. Pitta or the Division A scholarship competitions is easy. Parents and/or students should simply fill out the appropriate eligibility information and submit it to the appropriate Scholarship Fund office. After eligibility is determined, the actual applications will be distributed. Members are asked to note that there are strict guidelines and deadlines to be followed. Complete instructions appear on the eligibility information forms.

Over the years, many students have told us that winning one of these scholarships made the difference in allowing them to attend the college or university of their choice. In some cases, these scholarships have even made the difference between attending or not attending college. We should add that the awards often mean more than money to many of the recipients. They also represent an important achievement, while helping recipients make a firm commitment to succeed in school and accomplish more in the years ahead.

Competition Notes

As we report every year, many factors are taken into account in determining the winners of the Vito J. Pitta and Division A scholarship awards. These factors include students' scholastic records, community involvement, financial need and extra-curricula activities.

These scholarship programs are competitions and the winners are chosen by a selection committee of five professional educators. The Union and management have no say whatsoever in the determination of the winners. The scholarship selection committee has done a superb job of choosing the scholarship recipients in the past, as evidenced by the unparalleled record of success of previous winners.
On a final note we ask everyone to remember that applications must be completed and returned to the appropriate addresses no later than Monday, April 3, 2017.

We wish the best of luck to all students who apply for these scholarships!